Chapter 8 #2
Suddenly, Ulf wished that he, too, could experience his first dip in the sea again.
He did not remember what he had thought the first time he had gone into the salty water as a child.
He had no idea if he’d been afraid or excited the first time he’d slept outside under the stars.
And it had quickly become normal. How had he felt the first time he’d sat on a horse?
What had he thought of the big animal, even?
He had the impression that he had always known how to ride.
He had done so many things, been to so many places that sometimes he forgot to appreciate the wealth of knowledge he had, and he rarely experienced the thrill of a new discovery.
Being with someone like Ylva, who had so many wonders left to discover, gave his own life a different flavor. There was no doubt she would remember her first night out in the open, she would not forget that she had once been daunted in front of horses, there would be a before and after her rescue.
And he would be part of those memories.
The idea pleased him. And if she stayed a while in the village, perhaps he could experience new things through her eyes. Now, this would be thrilling.
They entered the water. It was cool, as he’d predicted, but Ylva didn’t hesitate; she led him forward.
He followed, refusing to be a hindrance in any way.
Soon, their legs were submerged, then their waists.
Ulf let out a sigh of relief. With his pulsing shaft hidden from view, he could relax somewhat.
After taking another few steps, he felt a tug on his hand and Ylva called out.
“Stop.”
Without looking, he estimated that the water would have reached up her shoulders.
Ulf was amazed she had not wavered until she was almost completely submerged.
She really was a fearless little thing. It was a miracle she had not found the will to stab him more decisively the other day, because he didn’t doubt she would be capable of killing someone who deserved it.
Now that her body was hidden from view, it was safe to look at her, so he turned to the side. “How does it feel, then?”
Though cool, the water was not as cold as it would be in just a few weeks, once summer was over.
“Odd. Wonderful.” She smiled. “Scary. Delicious. I don’t know.”
He smiled back at her fumbling answer. “It’s odd because it’s new. But you will get used to it. And there’s no need to be scared. I’m here. Just enjoy the delicious and wonderful parts.”
She looked into the distance a long moment, as if trying to adjust to the oddness while making the most of the pleasurable sensations.
“Judith, who grew up in a village by the sea, told me that swimming felt like floating,” she said after a while. “I wish I could see what she means but, for that, I guess I would need to learn to swim first.”
Not necessarily. With him helping her, she would be able to get a feel of it. “You are shorter than me.”
Ylva almost gave a snort when Ulf pointed out the difference in size between them.
To say that she was shorter was an understatement.
She barely reached to his shoulder. His muscular, perfect shoulder, that was rounded, smooth and dotted with pearl-like droplets of water at the moment.
But she didn’t see what that had to do with anything.
“Yes, I am shorter. Why are you telling me this?”
“If we go in a bit deeper, your feet won’t touch the seafloor any longer.
I could hold you by the waist, to make sure your chin stays above the surface,” he carried on before she could point out that she could not risk having her head under water.
“You will feel as if you were floating. With the movement of the waves you won’t really feel your own weight. ”
It was tempting, undeniably. Except that if he held her she would feel his hands on her naked skin, close to her breasts, close to her core. Was that wise? She wasn’t certain. Would she accept? Yes, of course.
“I swear I will not drop you. You will not drown.” He had mistaken her hesitation for fear.
“No, I know.” She bit her bottom lip. “Very well. Please hold me.”
He didn’t hesitate. Placing strong hands on either side of her waist, he picked her up and lifted her off the sandy seabed.
She shot up in the air and for the space of a few heartbeats, her breasts peeked above the surface of the water.
Ulf’s gaze instantly fastened on the nipples that had been hardened by the cold water.
Ylva felt herself flush to the roots of her hair because for a mad, wild moment she wondered how it would feel if he leaned in and suckled her.
No, she rectified, she didn’t wonder, she wished he would do it.
What was wrong with her? She had never desired to feel a man’s mouth on her, never thought she would.
By the time he lowered her back down, Ulf looked rather flushed himself.
“I’m so sorry, that wasn’t supposed to happen. But you’re already very slight, and in the water, I forgot that you would weigh even less than usual. I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s all right,” she mumbled. The important thing was that he did not find out she had wanted to feel his mouth on her.
She had wanted him to tease the hard little peaks offered to his gaze, suck on them until she felt jolts of delight shoot straight down to her core.
Lord, she was growing slick between the legs just thinking about it. His mouth would be so hot, she would—
“Shall we go a bit deeper?” he asked, mercifully cutting through the lewd musings.
“Yes,” she croaked.
The water only reached midway up his chest at the moment. She could see his taut pectorals and his flat nipples. Another shocking thought flashed through her mind. Could she lean in and suckle him? No, of course not! What was wrong with her?
Ulf walked another few steps into the sea. Her feet didn’t touch the ground once and Ylva did feel, as he’d said, weightless.
“This is wonderful.”
“Yes, it is.”
Why was he agreeing? He wasn’t the one floating about, held in a strong man’s embrace. More’s the pity, because it did feel wonderful. She and Ulf remained face to face a long moment, not talking.
Then, as if in a dream, Ylva reached up to his neck and pulled herself forward. Her legs wrapped around Ulf’s waist and her mouth took possession of his. Everything was done in the blink of an eye, effortlessly—and there were no protests.
The kiss was fierce, full of pent-up desire, the kiss of a free woman who was not afraid of her needs, delicious and new.
Hot and stirring. How did it feel for Ulf?
She remembered his warning about getting aroused.
It would seem he had not lied. He was hard as steel between her legs.
The feel of his shaft only fanned her ardor further and she moaned into his mouth.
This was heaven.
Ulf was taken aback by Ylva’s skill. She lacked experience in many domains but without doubt, this was not her first kiss, or even her tenth.
She was… Bloody hell, she was a lot more skilled than he was, using her tongue to devastating effect, sending his arousal spiraling out of control, causing his blood to rush to his already hard shaft with dizzying speed.
The thought crossed his mind that if she started to grind herself against him, all would be lost. The friction would send him over the edge.
He would erupt, with his cock trapped between his hard stomach and her feminine softness.
He could not let that happen. Not that he feared the humiliation, even if he was not particularly keen to be seen as an excitable youth, but he didn’t want her to think he posed any threat to her.
“Where did you learn to kiss like that?” he mumbled, nuzzling at her neck when they finally drew back from one another. She tasted both of the salt of the sea and a sweetness that had to be hers. Exquisite.
“I am not without experience in the art of kissing,” she breathed back, tilting her head to the side so as to better enjoy his teasing.
Yes, just as he’d suspected. “You mean that you managed to find yourself a lover while living with Mildred?”
This was surprising. How had she found the time and the opportunity to meet someone? Leaving the house would have been fraught with danger and he didn’t think she would have been introduced to many people.
She met his gaze without flinching. “Yes. I have been bedded, and I have known pleasure, at someone else’s hand and at my own.”
This was a rather shocking declaration but far from being jealous, Ulf was relieved. At least there had been some good things in her miserable life. “I’m glad.”
She smiled, as if this answer pleased her. “What about you?”
“I am not as experienced as everyone imagines.” Did she think, like most of his friends, that he’d had his share of conquests?
Probably. “I’ve only ever been with one woman.
Someone from another Norsemen village. The affair didn’t last long and, in truth, it was nowhere near as satisfactory as it should have been. ”
Ulf could have kicked himself. Why had he said that? Now she would think him either very dismissive of his lovers, or impossibly hard to satisfy.
He was neither, but it was true that his trysts with Revna had failed to give him what he had hoped to find in a woman’s arms.
At first, he had thought that his poor performances were responsible for his dissatisfaction.
His primed, young body had not allowed him to make the most of the moment, as his release had come too quickly.
This, though expected, had left him with a sense of guilt.
Later, as he’d learned to control his pleasure better, he had wanted to experiment and make up for his initial clumsiness.
But Revna had not been open to any of his suggestions.
Not once had she asked what would please him.
Even worse, she had refused the pleasure he’d wanted to give her.